Ed Neufeldt vowed to wear three green bracelets until unemployment rates fell below 7 percent. He told The Elkhart Truth in 2012, “I may be wearing them to my casket,” but on Thursday they came off. “I thought that would never happen,” he said looking at the bracelets in his hand. Unemployment rates posted this week prompted Neufeldt to symbolically remove his three bracelets, which represented unemployment rates in the U.S., Indiana and Elkhart County. Rates in all three are now below seven percent.

Neufeldt began speaking about unemployment to media outlets especially after he introduced President Obama during his visit to Elkhart County in 2009. Neufeldt said he thinks he has had 80 media interviews since. The future of Elkhart County, he said, is optimistic. “Elkhart County has hope for the future,” he said. His 18-year-old daughter recently started her first job. “Five years ago,” he said, “you couldn’t event go out and get a job.” “I think Elkhart County is blessed,” he said. “We have recovered.”

David Lat: How Did Two Young Lawyers Get To Have Dinner With The Obamas?

Caleb Ballew and Kourtney Ballew. They’re a pair of twenty-something, small-firm lawyers from Huntsville, Alabama. Say what? Did the Obama White House get Salahi’d again? Actually, no. The Ballews came as honored guests of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Because the Obamas have had so few state dinners, invitations to the ones they do host are in especially high demand. How did two recent law school graduates score one of the most coveted invites in the country? Near the end of 2010, out of financial necessity, the Ballews allowed Kourtney’s health insurance to lapse. She hadn’t had any major health issues up until that point, and they expected that it would be a temporary measure. But during that time period when she was uninsured, Kourtney got diagnosed with a medical condition that could require multiple — and expensive — surgical procedures. Luckily, as a result of health care reforms initiated by President Obama, Kourtney was able to avail herself of a government-run Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. This allowed Kourtney to have her two surgical procedures — which went smoothly, thankfully — at a fairly minimal cost. Had the Ballews had to pay out of pocket for the surgeries, it would have been crippling.

In November 2012, shortly after President Obama won re-election, Caleb sent a heartfelt letter of gratitude to the president. In the letter, which Caleb described to AL.com as “a pretty emotional letter,” he congratulated the president on his reelection, praised him for delivering on his campaign promises, and thanked him for making such a huge difference in the Ballews’ lives. On Monday, February 3, Caleb received an email inviting him to the State Dinner for President Hollande taking place on Tuesday, February 11. When they reached President Obama, a White House functionary announced the Ballews to the president. As they shook hands, the president said to Caleb, without any prompting, “I really enjoyed your letter. Thank you so much for that.” “I was very impressed,” Caleb said. “There were a number of us ordinary citizens at the dinner, and I was so impressed that the president remembered me and my letter.” After Caleb and President Obama exchanged some pleasantries, the president said to Caleb, “You’re sitting at my table.” “I thought he just used that line on everyone,” Caleb told me. “So I said to him, ‘Mr. President, I don’t believe they’d seat me at your table.” “I’m pretty sure,” President Obama said to Caleb. “I’ll see you in there.” When they arrived, Caleb asked one of the honor guards where he could find the Ballews’ table, table 19. Caleb expected it to be a table somewhere off in a corner. The guard, without even having to look around, directed Caleb towards the large rectangular table directly in front of the stage. “I said a four-letter word to Kourtney,” Caleb recalled, “then said, ‘We are sitting with the president tonight!’”

REMINDER For TODer’s and Lurkers: VOTE, VOTE, VOTE for Meta’s Pastry Studio to get in the finals. This is just phase one, so do your part. Get your mom, dad, daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, grandparents, cousins, godchildren, step-children, neighbors, best friends, frenemies, and booty call buddies to vote. 😀

I remember Elkhart, because even in the midst of the worst of the economic crisis, they were hopeful and had faith that things would turn around. Their hearts have continuously been hopeful, and I’m so glad that they’ve come through the crisis and are seeing brighter days.

Every time I’ve seen video of the people of Elkhart – mostly during the President’s visits – they’ve been very kind and respectful to the President, and to his efforts to help them come out of the recession whole. It seems like they’re good people, generally, with a level of integrity uncommon among the right wingers. They’ve always impressed me with how they have risen to the challenges in front of them, and how they consistently respected the President. How they voted may be another matter, but they know who was helping them.

I love our President… this response to Caleb : You’re sitting at my table.” “I thought he just used that line on everyone,” Caleb told me. “So I said to him, ‘Mr. President, I don’t believe they’d seat me at your table.” “I’m pretty sure,” President Obama said to Caleb. “I’ll see you in there.”

sherijr, thanks so much for tweeting that incredibly wonderful story! It’s the best account of the WH State Dinner I’ve read so far. What a fortunate couple. Just amazing that POTUS and FLOTUS do every single they can to make the WH the People’s House.

Putin does realize that there’s still another 6 days left of the Olympics, no?

Hotel guests are walking, unchecked, past unused metal detectors. Security guards are no longer poking around at the pockets and ankles of every single person entering Olympic facilities. Tangerines and bottles of Coke are making it through security barriers that banned them two weeks ago.

For all the warnings that security in Sochi would be invasive and aggressive, it’s appearing more and more uneven, and in places almost relaxed.

I’ve been taking a bit of a sabbatical this weekend. Saturday the missus and I sent Stewie to boarding school so we could have a day to ourselves. We went out to eat, shopping, the movies, the whole shebang. We got home and I saw the Michael Dunn verdict, and I was just disgusted. Usually I’d have an essay up, but it seems I write the same essay after every similar travesty, and nothing changes. I guess the best we can hope for is to be witnesses, and not let evil go unremarked. Hope to be back in full effect this week.

Flower-pot raiding again, these people appear to have an endless supply. Two more today, I picked up about 12 at the weekend, and there were, oh, another 10-ish before that. I do wish they’d fix the wall. Although Danny’s world will fall apart when they do.

😆 Is there a name for a flower-pot collector? Well, that’s what Danny now is, since that wall blew down he’s being collecting them with a passion. And eaten every plant/flowery thing they contained – or, if he didn’t like the taste, emptied them all over the lawn. I can’t wait to see what grows out there when the weather warms up.

😆 Speaking of mind-altering substances – a visitor knocked over a glass of wine the other evening, Danny pounced on the puddle like it was roast beef, lapped it up. I swear he seemed tipsy after. I’m taking him to the vet in the next few days to have a couple of things checked out, I’ll be arrested for giving alcohol to my dog.

Yeah, real cute! Another thing: today he started barking frantically, I thought something awful had happened. So, I Usain Bolted my way to him, he’s sitting up in an armchair, trying to reach the socks (and other things) I had just washed. And he was looking at me with pleading eyes, like I was evil because I wouldn’t let him at them. Really, I should have called him Amk.

Happens with me all the time, meta. Worse is when I get caught up in links within comments. Then I forget which comment it came from and which post it was part of. It’s like getting tangled up in yarn.

Piers looking for a TeaNN ratings? He had this killer’s brother and his lawyers on many times. I don’t trust piers. TeaNN gave a platform to a Child killer. That is what Fox did. And for that, I have lost all respect for TeaNN.

I’ve been completely off the grid this weekend babysitting the baby grands. D-I-L’s mother was suppose to fly in on Thursday and stay with them this weekend but due to the bad weather she was unable to get here. So I was the lucky one and got to keep the girls all weekend. I am worn out. It takes a lot to care for two infants but I cherished every minute of it.

I am just catching up.

Ms Chips I’m sending prayers for a speedy recovery to {{{Mama Chips}}}. She will be in my thoughts.

Nerdy Wonka, you are magnificent!!. A simple thank you isn’t strong enough to express my gratitude of your work to keep us up to date and completely informed.

Meta, as always when called on our TOD family rises to the occasion to support one of our own. We’ve got your back. One question. Why are there two post for the Pastry Studio? There is the one in the lead and another down towards the bottom with 7 votes. Will they combine those votes I wonder????

House of Cards is a Netflix original series. The first season premiered last year. The second season premiered on Valentines Day. It is available on the online streaming plan. Online means you can watch as many episodes as you want at a time. That tends to allow for addictive behavior. When the first season came out I watched the entire season in three days. This time I am limiting my watching to one episode at a time due to being sad when it is over. To anyone that did not see season one be sure to watch it first. In answer to your question you would need a subscription to Netflix online and a wireless connection.

Is there any way you can check, Meta. I don’t like it because I seem to remember when I first went there yesterday it was at ‘7’. Also, you are only allowed to vote once for a particular blog, yet I was just able to add a vote to the ‘7’ just now whereas the top PS was already showing I’d voted. Hope they don’t have a problem with the top Pastry Studio moving so fast. 😕

Yo, GrandmaDD, next time you get an entire weekend, bring the girls over and we’ll help. Some of us are fascinated by the idea of caring for twins, and there you are getting a second taste of the reality. 😉 😉

That whiskey suggestion sounds excellent, LL! All’s good now, she had a bad fall late last Thursday night and cut her head, lots of drama with ambulances and hospitals and squads of doctors, her worst nightmare. But she’s home now and recovering, although I’m making her dinner so I hope that doesn’t set her back. Thanks LL.

Sorry to hear about your moms accident, Chips. I’m sure she will enjoy your dinner (I would avoid any cakes based on the photographic evidence you have shown us here on TOD 🙂 ) Here’s to her recovering in a speedy fashion!

Thank you Carol. She only had to stay one night, so that was a blessing, although we felt it might have been safer if they kept her in another day or two, considering it was a head injury. But, she was just relieved to be home.

You know, even for me “cheese puff casserole” sounds like hell on earth! 😆

Thanks so so much sjterrid, genuinely appreciate your kind words. She’s doing well today, much better than yesterday when the shock of it all seemed to catch up, so hopefully she’ll get back to normal very soon. Thank you again sjterrid.

More military families used food stamps to buy milk, cheese, meat and bread at military grocers last year.
Food stamp redemption at military grocers has been rising steadily since the beginning of the recession in 2008. Nearly $104 million worth of food stamps was redeemed at military commissaries in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

If Republicans really supported our vets…this would NOT be happening right now! The minimum wage would be raised and food stamps just might become a thing of the past…or at least a hand up for a lesser share of the population. This is so unsat!

I know. I know. They can’t acknowledge that they have been wrong all these years about their beloved Republican Party….that they’ve been lied to all these years and shafted all this time by a party they trusted….it would reflect badly on the themselves for being so easily bamboozled and swindled.

True Confessions. I never watched House of Cards so since today is a holiday I binge-watched Season One and just watched the first episode of Season Two…. All I can say is O-M-G. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after that one. Frank is something else. I cannot stand him but I can’t stop watching him either.

Oh Lord there aren’t enough hours in the day. I’m already watching the US version like its the last day on earth. 🙂
I’ll find the time to fit in the UK version because this show is nothing like I thought it would be. Ruthless is putting it mildly!!!!

You know, Lib_L, I’d really like to know where you find the time to watch Netflix, news, sports, plus stay up to date with meaningful reading, AND write. And work. Oh, and I forgot cook, and mix special drinks. 🙄 I just have enough time in the day to breathe, and play in the TODvillage. 😛 On the days *I* have to go to work as well I’m not a happy camper.
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On second thoughts – don’t tell me, or I might feel constrained to add more to my day not to feel like a sluggard!

Hating them is an understatement but it is a compelling show. Knowing that you can watch one episode after the next is crazy stuff. You stay glued to your computer. It’s crazy. I need to pace myself for season two to only watch a few episodes a week.

Oh you’re in for a treat with season 2. Just when you think it can’t get any worse it does. I’ve never watched anything like it. I wanna punch the Underwood’s through my computer monitor. Neither husband nor wife has an ounce of conscience between them.

Thank you Nerdy Wonka for the wonderful reminders on why THIS President and his many accomplishments on behalf of the people are the best reasons to celebrate today!

I was just catching up on today’s posts and I have to mention just a couple of things:

Chips, first of all, wising your mother a speedy and full recovery!

Second, in defense of AMK and Mayor Di Blasio’s pizza eating methods, I must tell you that I am both American and Italian and eating pizza with a knife and fork is the way it’s done in Italy. Pizzas in Italy are not big giant pies cut into slices and shared by the whole table or bought on the run. Pizzas are served individually, like a sandwich would be, and you eat the whole pie (much smaller than in the US) with a knife and fork. The big giant NYC slice is awesome, and I know the proper way to eat those is folded in with your hands, but that’s not how it’s done in the place where pizza making originated.

So, eating with a knife and fork may be unforgivable for New Yokers, even New Yorkers of Italian descent, but in Italy it’s standard practice.

My eye still hurts and I shouldn’t be on here but I was getting lonely for everyone. Thanks for asking. I’m hoping to get into a specialist soon. I have to jump through hoops to see her but she is supposed to be worth it. It’s only 190 miles away. 😦 I might not be here for awhile after today. I needed the support of our community after the Dunn trial and now I want to support you and honor our President Obama.

Thinking of you CarolMae – take good care of yourself – we’ve been thinking about where to live in retirement – sadly access to doctors/hospitals has a part to play. My dad used to live about 250 miles a surgeon who was just amazing & gave him at least 20 more years of life – I used to be the driver – 300 miles to get him – 500 for the return trip to doctor/hospital & 300 home! but it was worth every minute and every mile.

Yes, it’s tough to live so far from major cities, but we like it here too much to move. In spite of all the Repubs. It’s funny though, people here think nothing of driving that far to see a doctor. Hubby had a sixty mile one way commute everyday on a bus to work. We do have a very good local hospital and regular doctors, just not eye specialists. If we went to a city we would need to get recommendations to the really good doctors anyway.
We actually drove about 400 miles to take one of our sweet dogs to an animal hospital to see if there was a miracle cure, sadly there wasn’t.
Thank you for your kind thoughts. I was just lying down with a cold pack eye gel mask on my eyes because I think I over did it today. That really helped too. Thank goodness for Amazon shopping. 😉

My dad thought like you – he lived in the city for about 10 years of his life and spent that time trying to get out! The rest of us liked city living – but in those times the man was the wage earner so we moved. I enjoyed my 10 years in the country but have been a city person ever since – although my 15 mile commute to work probably took as long as your husbands 60 miles 🙂

Yes, his commute was open road and 65 speed limit. We both grew up on farms but near a fairly big city, so we’d be fish out of water in a city. Although I did see that we took long weekends to see ballets and theatre and of course professional sports. And I enjoyed the shopping too.

February 17, 2014: It’s not obscure or strange, but I wanted to draw George and Abe for Presidents Day. But we do have two lesser-known days to combine with our founding fathers: Random Acts of Kindness Day and National Cafe au Lait Day.